Foodie Blogroll

I tried the Blue Ribbon Restaurant on Labor Day, and was quite impressed. I ordered one of the Monday specials, Fish and Chips. The special comes with soup and salad.

The fish and chips was a delicious combination of freshly fried haddock and crispy fries. The portion of haddock was about a half a pound, which I found a little stingy. However, the quality was excellent. The chunks of fresh haddock were very flaky and melted in my mouth. The fries were not made from scratch, but they were thick cut and tasty.

What stands out about this restaurant was the excellent service. The waitress made every effort to accomodate our group. She brought out samples of the daily soups to help us decide, and advised us about the menu. The cashier was also very pleasant, asking about our dining experience and urging us to come back.

Overall, this was an excellent experience. The courteous staff made us feel at home. Though the Blue Ribbon isn't a fish restaurant, they make an excellent fish and chips.

I tried the Juicy Burger in Ballston Spa with my girlfriend. The food was decent, but a little pricey compared with Five Guys or Fuddruckers.

The menu is structured a little differently than either of those chains. The basic burger is $5.00 and does not even come with lettuce. It is simply a hamburger on a bun, nothing less, nothing more. There are condiments on the side if you wish. If you want lettuce or tomato, you will have to upgrade to the Build a Burger, which is $7.50. The Build a Burger allows you to load perhaps 15 toppings on your burger, from bacon to sauteed onions. Fries and a drink can be ordered a la carte; there are no meal options.

I ordered the Build a Burger with sweet potato fries, and it was excellent. It was either one third or one quarter a pound of beef, on a large roll. I found it to be a little greasy, but very tasty. The sweet potato fries were good, not excellent. They were covered in salt, which I found a little unnecessary. I was excited that they had sweet potato fries; Fuddruckers did not have those until recently and Five Guys does not have them at all.

My meal came out to a little more than $12. Fudds will give you the burger meal deal for under $10; Five Guys is also under $10. $12 seems a little unreasonable for a meal without waiter service. For $12, I would prefer to have a nice meal at Chili's or Quintessence.